Safety and inclusivity

Safety

Physical safety

In order to avoid injuring yourself or others, please bear in mind the following things when you are LARPing:

Do not stab with LARP weapons – stabbing with them can cause actual harm and also damage or break the weapon

Pull your blows – try to hit people with low impact swings. As long as they know they’ve been hit, that’s enough

Never hit anybody in the face, head, neck or groin

You must not grapple or make bodily contact while fighting

The consumption of alcohol or any other intoxicating substances legal or otherwise during games will not be tolerated – LARPing while intoxicated puts both yourself and others at risk, and we reserve the right to remove you from the game and/or contact the police should we deem it necessary

We will do a runthrough of safety information with you in person before the game starts, especially if you are new to LARP – please inform us ASAP if you miss or do not understand anything.

Mental safety

Vigor Mortis is a horror game, and as such some unpleasant topics may be explored. Violence, mental illness and, of course, death are a few examples of the more distressing themes that may surface during play, and if these are upsetting for you, Vigor Mortis may not be the game for you. It is also feasible that indirect references to self-harm and suicide may occur during the course of play, and while we will always aim to handle these issues sensitively if they do come up (and ask that you do the same), please let a ref know if this might be an issue for you.

Rape and sexual assault are not themes Vigor Mortis engages with, and as such roleplay related to these themes is prohibited. Similarly, insensitive references to these themes (e.g. rape jokes) should not be made, even OOC.

If there are themes that may be triggering to you that you are concerned may come up from time to time, please do talk to a ref about it in advance. Where possible, we will accommodate you, either by providing content warnings at the start of the session or by avoiding potentially triggering subjects when it is reasonable to do so.

If you find that any other themes are having a significant negative effect on you during the game, please take a moment to speak to a ref to explain your concerns.

Safety-related calls

Safety or OOC action-related calls you may encounter while playing Vigor Mortis include:

Man down – This call means that you or somebody else has been injured or is otherwise in trouble (e.g. dropping glasses). If you hear this call, you should freeze and not resume play until you hear “Time in”

Time in – The game has started (or resumed)

Time out – The game has ended

Time freeze – IC (in character) time has been paused for either IC or OOC (out of character) reasons. Await further instructions, and return to roleplaying when “Time in” has been called

Inclusivity

Accessibility

We want to make sure that our games can be enjoyed by as many people as possible, and as such we will do our best to make reasonable efforts and adjustments to this end.

We aim to supply as much information pertaining to the accessibility of venues and games in advance so you can make an informed choice as to whether or not the event is right for you.

With Vigor Mortis, we strive to provide a balance between combat and non-combat encounters as best we can, but please be aware that this may not always be 50/50 due to the actions of players and the ref team only having finite resources – sadly, we are but mortals.

We also understand that not all disabilities are physical or visible, and will try and cater to the needs of these players as much as we are able as well.

If you feel it necessary, you may drop out of roleplaying at any time by using the out of character gesture (one hand held above the head, index and middle fingers crossed). We always try and ensure that there is a quiet space with seating away from the IC area at every event should you need to take a break – let us know and we will happily point this out to you.

Discrimination

It is important to remember that IC opinions do not necessarily reflect OC ones. However, you should let a ref know if you find any characters or situations are making it difficult or impossible for you to enjoy the game.

OOC racism, sexism, ableism and other such prejudices are completely unacceptable (and if you must include them IC, please do so with care – we do, for example, expect there to be prejudice between archetypes), and we will act accordingly if we deem anyone to be being wilfully disrespectful.

Harassment

We want to ensure everyone feels safe participating in any games we run. As such, we have a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment of any kind.

Harassment can take many forms, including:

Verbal abuse

Excessive use of sexual jokes or innuendo

Intentionally and repeatedly standing too close to or brushing up against someone

Unwanted physical contact of any kind

Repeatedly attempting to contact or socialise with someone out of character when they have said no or have otherwise indicated they are not interested

Behaving inappropriately towards players or staff online, be it on official Immersion Ruined pages or privately

Making excuses for unacceptable behaviour, such as being in character, under the influence, just joking or knowing the person in question, does not make it okay.

If you are unsure about whether something is okay, it is best to ask (e.g. during a session use the out of character gesture and ask: “Are you okay with me standing here?”) or else err on the side of caution (e.g. don’t stand too close in the first place). Similarly, if someone asks you to do something (e.g. uses the out of character gesture and asks you to give them some room) or responds negatively (e.g. answers “No” or without clear assent to you asking if you can stand close to/touch them), you must respect their wishes.

You are are in no way obligated to accept if someone asks you to do something you feel uncomfortable with whether they are a player or a member of the ref team, nor should you feel offended if someone declines – it’s important to respect your fellow players’ comfort zones, even if they are filthy Revenant scum.

If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable before, during or after the game, please let us know as soon as you are able.

Anyone who we believe to be a threat to our players will be removed from the game and banned from all future events.

Questions, concerns and complaints

If you require any further information or worries about an upcoming or past event, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.